Uber Cleaning Fee

All You Have to Know About Uber Cleaning Fee

If you travel using Uber, or you are an Uber driver, the Uber cleaning fee topic is one that you should be familiar with. Otherwise, you may find out that you cannot get reimbursed for a serious mess, such as vomits inside your vehicle. On the other hand, a rider may be surprised to find out that he or she has been extra-charged out of the blue for cleaning issues.

I remember cleaning my car, vacuum, wipe, I mean I did the whole nine yards, getting ready to drive for uber on a Friday night. Next thing, I know I picked up a few riders who happen to be drunks, and one of them end up puking in my car. I panicked, at the time; I didn’t know uber cleaning fee was available to drivers as long you have proof, pictures of the mess or vomit. click here if you want to read this interesting story about this drunk pax I picked up once.

Why do you get charged for Uber cleaning fee?

The reason Uber cleaning fee was introduced by Uber is for passengers to enjoy clean safe rides. Uber drivers ought to maintain their vehicles or keep their vehicles clean at all times and so Uber riders are responsible for any messes such as food or drink spills they caused. Remember that after such messes, drivers will have to stop working until they clean their vehicles, so they’re losing money. Uber will charge the riders and paid the drivers based on the extent of damage.

What can be reimbursed?

First and foremost, any bodily fluids will be compensated with the biggest amounts of money, usually the maximum $150. Vomit, blood, urine, etc. are undoubtedly leading to an uber cleaning fee that will not be denied.

I don’t want you drivers to miss out on the uber cleaning fee as I did. I paid to clean my car out of my own pocket, and I didn’t know I had to take pictures. I was thinking if I provided Uber with a receipt and that would be enough.

Other types of mess, such as dirt, dust, trash, glitter or food may be reimbursed, but not all the time. Uber will decide on the severity of the situation and then whether or not a cleaning fee should be charge to riders and to give the drivers. They also set the value of the damages using their own judgment.

Do you need a copy of the cleaning bill?

A receipt of the cleaning bill is not needed for an Uber cleaning fee because there is plenty of mess that may be handled by the driver himself. If it does not require professional help, it doesn’t mean that it never happened. It just means that some of the drivers are already having a history with all these types of experiences, and they know how to take care of their car.

Updated as of October 2016: Uber is now required receipts in certain cases. It’s not clear on what types of cleaning cases Uber ask for receipts, it’s probably a random thing, or if a rider dispute the charges etc… In most cases, as long you have photo proof of the mess made by the passenger, you’ll most likely receive a cleaning fee.

One more thing that I strongly suggest, in most cases pictures/photos of the mess you took, may not do you justice. So, if you find yourself in this situation, contact Uber through an email or phone to explain and give more details about the issue.

As I stated above, I didn’t take pictures of the mess the rider made in my car, and another mistake I made, I reported the incident to Uber 3 days later. I should have done so before 48 hours to qualify for the uber cleaning fee. But in my case, it would not make any difference anyway since I didn’t have any proof of the vomiting. So, remember to always take pictures and report it the minute you have a chance, I mean the sooner the better.

What is the evidence needed?

If you want to receive a cleaning fee as a driver, you need to take photos of the accident or mess. Make sure that you have at least 2-3 pictures which are clear, not blurry or too dark. The main idea is to prove to Uber that your client made a mess. Taking into consideration that they will decide whether to give you a reimbursement or not, as well as the value of it, you need to provide them clear evidence of the issue.

Besides the pictures, you also need to identify the trip the mess occurred within 48 hours. Otherwise, you will not get reimbursed. This requirement is perfectly normal because Uber will not charge a random rider for a mess, hoping that he or she is the guilty one. Even though your request will be processed later than 48 hours, if you have submitted your evidence, you may be sure that you will be reimbursed.

How much can you get?

The Uber cleaning fee ranges from $20 to $150. How much you get charged will depend on the type and how big is the mess. Below I’m going over how much you’ll get charged based on the mess you’ve created.

$150: This is the maximum amount of money you can get when your request for an uber cleaning fee is approved. Usually, this amount is provided to you in cases such as vomiting, urinating, and blood or other bodily fluids caused by Uber passengers on the inside of your vehicle.

$80: You will get this money in cases of small bodily fluid mess. If the client has stained some surfaces that are not easy to clean, most probably you will be reimbursed with $80.

$40: The most common situation for this sum is vomit on the outside of your car. Other issues that are smaller or on easy-cleaning surfaces will also be compensated with this amount of money.

$20: This sum has been recently introduced, and it is usually provided for small, ordinary types of messes, such as food or drink spills.

When can the cleaning fee be declined?

As it was already mentioned, one of the most common situations for declining a fee is the lack of evidence. If the driver does not provide clear photos of the mess, the rider cannot be charged. Moreover, the pictures have to be submitted within 48 hours or less. If not, the cleaning fee will be declined, too. If the company considers that the mess is not large enough for a reimbursement, the driver will not get one. Another reason for rejecting such a fee is the inability of the driver to identify the exact trip when the damage has been done.

Extra tip for riders:

If you vomit or make a mess while you are in an Uber car, you may feel ashamed and think about how to compensate your fault. A thought that may cross your mind immediately is to offer the driver money in order to clean the mess and forget about it. This is definitely not a good idea because you may end up double charged. If the driver accepts the money, nothing guarantees you that he/she will not also take some pictures and request an uber cleaning fee.

Another thing I want to mention is that if you split a fare with someone. He/she makes a mess or pukes in the car, the uber cleaning fee will be split with whomever you that is. Uber simply won’t charge one passenger for a cleaning fee on a split fare. The best approach to take if your friend is the one that makes the mess is to ask him/her your money back.

How many of you have any passengers end up vomiting or made a large mess inside your vehicle? I want to hear about it. Also, let me know how much you get from Uber for the cleaning fee.